Buying a piggyback... what one?

[Adamdan]

Honestly if your taking it to the shop, you might as well buy some denso or hks spark plugs and have them gap those and switch them out, that eway ou always have your stock ones in their original form since your paying to get it done anyways.

I was thinking of keeping the stock plugs so not to raise questions from the dealer if anything happens.

 

[washguy]

I was thinking of keeping the stock plugs so not to raise questions from the dealer if anything happens.

Adam....Far be it from me to tell you what to do with your new gal.....and I like you don't wanna screw up my warranty...but I went ahead and changed to the Densos....just my .02.... Wash

 

[Terry@BMS]

I was thinking of keeping the stock plugs so not to raise questions from the dealer if anything happens.

Magnasson-Moss covers replacement parts like plugs so you'd be on solid ground there. But easy to swap in Densos and keep your stock plugs in a drawer should you ever really need to go back to 100% stock.

 

[Johnny B]

Poor Race Chip doesn't get any love. I use the Race Chip black with the requested most aggressive tune they offer. I am more than satisfied. The car pulls incredibly hard from as low as 1800 rpm all the way to red line. Their customer service is top notch. I don't track my car or take it to the strip. For my daily driving needs this is way more than enough.

 

[Adamdan]

Poor Race Chip doesn't get any love. I use the Race Chip black with the requested most aggressive tune they offer. I am more than satisfied. The car pulls incredibly hard from as low as 1800 rpm all the way to red line. Their customer service is top notch. I don't track my car or take it to the strip. For my daily driving needs this is way more than enough.

What kind of gas do you run for that tune?

 

[Johnny B]

94

 

[Kato_the_kia_stinger]

I’d like to see some track run for those running Tune options that aren’t jb4. I know a lot of jb4 users tracking the car. All have great numbers. I’d like some sort of opportunity for comparison.

 

[Kamauxx]

Poor Race Chip doesn't get any love. I use the Race Chip black with the requested most aggressive tune they offer. I am more than satisfied. The car pulls incredibly hard from as low as 1800 rpm all the way to red line. Their customer service is top notch. I don't track my car or take it to the strip. For my daily driving needs this is way more than enough.

There are a couple of problems with RaceChip if it's compared to JB4.

First, why does RaceChip charge more for their chips based on how much boost they will add? No other chip maker does that (JB4 or LAP3)

Second, the most advanced (most expensive) RaceChip doesn't make the amount of power of a JB4.

Third, the JB4 is constantly being updated. Terry is always interacting with the community and making performance improvements based on user feedback. As far as I've seen, RaceChip's development ended when they started selling them and they only post here when someone "@'s" them with a specific question.

Fourth--and most important to some--the RaceChip Black costs TWICE as much as a JB4.

Taking all of that into consideration the question for a potential buyer should be "For $800 does a RaceChip Black provide anything that a $400 JB4 doesn't?"

I don't think anyone is suggesting RaceChips don't get the job done. What is being presented here is that when compared with a JB4 RaceChip is completely outclassed.

 

[Allmanb]

Jb4 all the way. I found the denso plugs for $7 each on amazon. Gapped .025

 

[Adamdan]

What makes the denso a better spark plug then the oem. The denso might have failed just as bad as the oem plug if it was gapped to 35 or what ever oem spec is. I just worry about what kia would do if say a denso plug came apart and damaged the piston.

 

[Allmanb]

When i pulled the stock NGK's out the porcelain was flaking apart on them at 16,000 miles.

 

[Adamdan]

When i pulled the stock NGK's out the porcelain was flaking apart on them at 16,000 miles.

Is that on a stock car with stock gap?

 

[Allmanb]

Yes. Only thing i had was K&N air filters. Interstate driven 120 miles a day running 93. I put the denso plugs in when i installed the jb4

 

[Adamdan]

From what I have read spark plugs with to much gap can run hot. I wonder if that’s what’s causing all the cracks on oem plugs.

 

[Allmanb]

From what I have read spark plugs with to much gap can run hot. I wonder if that’s what’s causing all the cracks on oem plugs.

That could be but the densos were $7 a piece on amazon and have worked fine since. Have run up to 20psi (jb4 logged) with no break up.

 

[Johnny B]

Like I said...."I" am happy with the Race Chip. There are no problems with it. For ME it is money well spent. This is my opinion, not a suggestion or comparison for what is better or worse.

 

[Adamdan]

That could be but the densos were $7 a piece on amazon and have worked fine since. Have run up to 20psi (jb4 logged) with no break up.

That’s with a smaller gap though. If the oem plugs got gapped down they may work just as well as the denso. I’m just going off what I have read online it is totally possible the denso is a better plug. My oem plugs have 1100km on them so I might just gap down if they all look good still. If they don’t last then I will go with the denso next time if they are holding up ok. To bad the stinger plug job was not easy. Changing the plugs on my 300zx was a pain too.

 

[Terry@BMS]

Like I said...."I" am happy with the Race Chip. There are no problems with it. For ME it is money well spent. This is my opinion, not a suggestion or comparison for what is better or worse.

It might be the JB4 wasn't available when you purchased it so what can you do. I'm sure it works fine for what it is. But without the CANbus, fuel control, mobile phone logging, boost by gear settings, free firmware updates with new features and maps as we develop them, and at a higher price to boot, I suspect most would make a different decision if buying today.

 

[Terry@BMS]

From what I have read spark plugs with to much gap can run hot. I wonder if that’s what’s causing all the cracks on oem plugs.

The factory plugs are ok when regapped but the Denso's are a colder plug with a better electrode design IMHO. Well worth the $50 if you're pulling the plugs to regap anyway. Plus then you get to keep the stock plugs unmolested for a rainy day.

 

[Kamauxx]

This is my opinion, not a suggestion or comparison for what is better or worse.

That's cool, but he was asking us which one is better, which is why I laid out all of the reasons to choose JB4 over RC.

In your opinion, is there a reason you can give him for why he should spend the extra $400 for a RC?